Shalom and Peace:
Today we continue with a bit more of Jewish Ethics (Derek Eretz) from the Talmud.
"Do not exact pay for thy teaching. Moreover, take no compensation whatever for it, for the Omnipotent has given His teaching to thee gratuitously; for the one who asks for reward destroys the whole world (because there are many who cannot afford to pay and will remain ignorant). And do not say: "I have no money to live on, and therefore I must take reward for my teaching." Remember all money is the Lord's, as it is written [Haggai, ii. 8]: "Mine is the silver, and mine is the gold, saith the Lord of hosts" (and He will supply you with money).''
This verse is very clear. Rabbis should not charge to teach the Bible or Talmud, nor take any compensation, such as a free meal. There are no excuses if one is in need of money. We rabbis in Talmudic times and after had occupations. We were doctors, wine merchants, olive growers, sandal makers, carpenters, et. al. Many of our rabbis were very wealthy, like Judah ha Nasi. Others were very impecunious like Hanina ben Dosa who had only carob beans to eat for Shabbat. [Tractate Ta'anit 24b].
Over time in the Diaspora, the concept of the paid Professional Rabbi developed, one with a full time job as a congregational pulpit rabbi. Itinerant rabbis, melameds*, roamed the towns of Europe looking for students to teach. Personally, I am able, with thanks to God, to teach for gratis.
Most rabbis cannot work for free, and hence do charge for their teaching services, ignoring this verse of Derek Eretz.
(*Melamedim were mentioned in the Bible in Prov. 5:13, and were regulated in the Talmudic period as teachers of children, for pay by the community. [Tractate Bava Batra 21a]).
The authors were concerned about two things. One, since the Torah is an "Inheritance to the Children of Jacob,"[Deut. 33:4], that one who charges to teach it, would be stealing this inheritance and hence be a thief. [Tractate Sanhedrin 91b].
Secondly, and most importantly, they were concerned that a rabbi who was paid by a lay board would sermonize about what the congregants wanted to hear, and not what they should hear. The day he finally teaches what he should teach, the lay board will dismiss him.
Unfortunately, we see this scenario happen again and again. Many synagogues want their rabbis to stress Zionism and the Holocaust, both worthy topics, but at the expense of teaching ethics, spirituality, and proper behavior. The Talmud relates how more than 2000 years ago, rabbis who taught in the Academies, avoided going to synagogues, which spent more time with secular and political issues of the day, and not on the core values of Judaism.
It remains today an unresolved issue.
Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author, and teacher. Visit him at www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org . Follow him on FaceBook at 'Arthur L Segal', on Twitter at RabbiASegal, or his blog at http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com . Email at RabbiSegal@JewishSpiritualRenewal.net
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